Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi struck out five batters over three innings of work during his outing against the Milwaukee Brewers last week. He allowed just one run on two hits along the way, showing off impressive control and efficiency. The right-hander remains effective heading into his age-34 season and will look to build on a strong 2023 campaign that saw him post a 3.88 FIP, 51.0 GB%, 8.25 K/9, and 2.94 BB/9. The latest RotoBaller fantasy baseball draft rankings have Eovaldi listed 198th overall and 54th among starters.

Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (lat) is scheduled to throw his first live batting practice session of camp on Wednesday, but it could be postponed due to rain. The Red Sox won't take any chances with the field being wet. Jansen reported right-lat soreness early in camp and was shut down, but it's not expected to take the 36-year-old much time to ramp up in spring training, so he's not being ruled out for Opening Day just yet. If he suffers a setback or just isn't ready to go later this month for the start of the regular season, expect Chris Martin to get the first shot at save chances at the back of Boston's bullpen. Jansen is the active leader in saves and had 29 of them with Boston last year, but he's not getting any younger and is a pretty big injury risk as a fantasy relief pitcher in 2024.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that left-hander Wade Miley (shoulder) threw a bullpen session in camp on Tuesday morning. "I wouldn't count him out for the first week," Murphy said. Miley has been dealing with left-shoulder soreness in spring training and isn't a lock to be available for the first turns through the team's starting rotation to begin the regular season. The 37-year-old veteran southpaw is trending in the right direction, though, so even if he opens the year on the injured list, he could make his 2024 debut in April. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues should look to avoid the aging soft-tosser, though, as you should be able to find better upside starting rotation options at the end of your drafts.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen (Achilles) said that he is making his Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday. "Got a uniform in here. Might as well wear it," McCutchen said. The 37-year-old said his modified, back-field program this spring has kept his health/body in a great spot entering the 2024 season. McCutchen suffered a partial tear of his left Achilles in 2023, which is why he's being slow-played in camp by the Pirates. The former National League MVP in 2013 is clearly past his prime, but he was decent before his injury in his return to Pittsburgh last year, slashing .256/.378/.397 with 12 home runs, 43 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 112 games. McCutchen's lack of outfield eligibility in fantasy is bad news for his overall fantasy appeal, though.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) will start the 2024 regular season on the injured list, manager Joe Espada confirmed on Tuesday. Verlander's right shoulder didn't respond the way he'd hoped this offseason, which caused him to come to spring training behind all the other starting pitchers. The 41-year-old three-time Cy Young winner has been throwing bullpen sessions in camp but has yet to be cleared to face live hitters. It doesn't appear to be a serious issue, but the Astros aren't going to rush an aging pitcher who has had injury issues in recent seasons. There's no guarantee that Verlander will be ready to go when he's eligible to come off the injured list on April 11. The future Hall of Famer is no longer a fantasy ace and comes with plenty of injury risk as a No. 3 or 4 starter for fantasy managers.

Kansas City Royals catcher/designated hitter Salvador Perez is batting .267 with one home run and three RBI in 15 at-bats this spring while seeing time both at catcher and designated hitter. The 33-year-old also spent time at first base in 2023 while slashing .255/.292/.422 with 23 home runs, 59 runs scored, and 80 RBI in 580 plate appearances. Age and wear will get to Perez at some point, but his ability to rack up PA while playing multiple positions and serving as DH still makes him a higher-end fantasy catcher. It is encouraging to see the Royals managing his time behind the plate while still getting him in the lineup.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen (Achilles) could see Grapefruit League action the week of March 4. The 37-year-old signed a one-year, $5 million deal this off-season to return to the Pirates after slashing .256/.378/.397 with 12 home runs, 55 runs scored, 43 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in 473 plate appearances. He was forced to miss the last month of the season due to a partial tear of his left Achilles. At this point in his career, while recovering from a leg injury, it is difficult to expect much from McCutchen fantasy-wise, particularly in terms of stolen base potential.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn has been in a slow progression in camp as a matter of personal preference, but he will make his Grapefruit League debut on Friday against the Washington Nationals. Lynn expressed his desire to ramp up on the back fields over the first week of spring games, a practice common throughout baseball. Despite not appearing in any games yet, he's not considered "behind" the team's other starters and is on the same throwing schedule. The 36-year-old veteran isn't going to be on any fantasy radars in mixed leagues after he had the worst season of his career in 2023 with the White Sox and Dodgers, posting a rough 5.73 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 183 2/3 innings while giving up 44 long balls. Lynn could improve with St. Louis this year, but there's virtually no upside here.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale has looked sharp through two starts with his new team this spring. The left-hander has struck out nine batters with only three hits allowed in 5 2/3 innings of work. It's a small sample size but it's great to see Sale looking like himself again. The seven-time All-Star was traded to Atlanta from the Boston Red Sox in December. Sale has struggled to stay healthy over the last few seasons. He made 20 starts with the Red Sox last season but didn't look like himself. Fantasy managers shouldn't get too eager but possibly the old Sale is back with his new team.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have brought in shortstop Elvis Andrus on a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. On paper, Andrus doesn't exactly fit in the overcrowded D-Backs infield. Geraldo Perdomo has already been named the starting shortstop. It won't be long before top prospect Jordan Lawlar is in the mix as well. At best, Andrus will have a bench role but that likely wouldn't be enough to provide consistent fantasy value. He slashed .251/.304/.358 with six homers and 12 steals during his time with the Chicago White Sox last season.

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Alex Cobb (hip) isn't expected to miss much time and should return relatively soon, according to Giants general manager Farhan Zaidi. The veteran right-hander is working his way back from offseason hip surgery. He'll open the season on the injury list but isn't expected to miss much time. The 36-year-old exceeded expectations with the Giants last season. When healthy, Cobb should be worth rostering in mixed leagues.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) threw around 60 pitches during his bullpen session on Sunday morning. Verlander worked out of both the stretch and from the windup and appeared to throw some breaking pitches. The Astros are expected to determine if he's ready to face hitters next in camp. The 41-year-old's shoulder didn't respond the way he would have hoped this offseason, so he entered spring training behind the team's other pitchers. Even if Verlander moves to live batting practice sessions next, there's no guarantee he won't open the 2024 regular season on the injured list as a precaution. The future Hall of Famer was still productive for fantasy managers last year, but injuries aren't going to go away, making him more of a No. 3 starter than a fantasy ace now days.

Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said the team is looking at "June" for right-hander Max Scherzer (back) to return in 2024. He underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back in mid-December. Scherzer initially had a timeline to return around the All-Star break, but the veteran will continue rehab and could potentially come back in June. "With Max, we are now looking at June. That's a little bit earlier than we thought," said Bochy. The 39-year-old owned a 3.77 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and a 174:45 K: BB across 152 2/3 innings in 2023. With the latest news, Scherzer could see a bump in his NFBC ADP of 319 and is worth stashing in all fantasy leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Lance Lynn is lined up to make his Grapefruit League debut Friday versus the Washington Nationals. Lynn began his career in St. Louis and will be sporting the Cardinals uniform for the first time since 2017 after signing a one-year, $10 million deal with the team during the offseason. The 36-year-old owned a 5.73 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and a 191:67 K: BB over 183 2/3 innings in 2023. He allowed a league-high 44 home runs and saw his BB% rise from 3.7% in 2022 to 8.4% in 2023. Lynn currently has an NFBC ADP of 297 and should improve on his lackluster 2023, throwing half his games at pitcher-friendly Busch Stadium this season, making him a solid pick in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said that left-hander Wade Miley (shoulder) is dealing with left-shoulder soreness in camp, which is the reason why the skipper said on Friday that Miley is "50-50" to be ready for Opening Day. "Played catch, played through it. Hasn't had any problem since," Murphy said. "We just want to go slow because of his history. Everything hurts on him. Happens when you're 50." Miley isn't 50, but he's 37 and should be of no interest to fantasy managers in mixed leagues in 2024, especially since he might not even be ready for the start of the season. The good news is Miley was able to play catch on Saturday. Miley has dealt with various arm injuries the last few years and relies on weak contact to get outs. At best, he'll be a matchup-based streamer in deep-mixed leagues when he's healthy.

The Texas Rangers are hoping to get right-hander Max Scherzer (back) back from his injury in June. "With Max, we are now looking at June. That's a little bit earlier than we thought," manager Bruce Bochy said. Scherzer is around three weeks away from resuming workouts six weeks after having surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back. The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer is hoping to make his 2024 season debut in June or July, barring any setbacks with his rehab. Not only was Scherzer injured last year, but he had trouble keeping the ball in the yard and is starting to look less dominant as he approaches 40 years old. The three-time Cy Young winner is only going to pitch around half a season in 2024, too, so fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting much out of him in his first full season in Texas.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy said on Friday morning that left-hander Wade Miley (undisclosed) is "50-50" to be ready for the start of the 2024 regular season. "We'll let you know more in about 10 days," Murphy said. It's unclear exactly what is wrong with Miley, but the soft-tossing southpaw may not be a part of Milwaukee's Opening Day rotation. The 37-year-old veteran has been slowed by elbow and shoulder injuries in recent seasons, so perhaps he's had another arm setback. Even if Miley was healthy, he wouldn't be very attractive to fantasy managers in mixed leagues. At best, he's a deep-league streaming option in favorable matchups, but his lack of strikeout upside keeps his fantasy floor low.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) will throw another bullpen session in camp on Sunday, and the Astros will determine Verlander's next step after that. The next step in his progression will be to get cleared to face live hitters, but the Astros aren't going to rush the 41-year-old, especially given all of his injuries in recent seasons. The future Hall of Famer had a late start to the 2023 campaign due to an injury but ended up finishing 13-8 with a 3.22 ERA (3.85 FIP) and 1.13 WHIP with 45 walks and 144 strikeouts in 162 1/3 innings over 27 starts. Houston isn't ruling out Verlander for Opening Day, but it's more likely than not that he'll open the year on the injured list as a precaution. Verlander can still be useful as a No. 3 or 4 starter for fantasy managers, but he's become a pretty big injury risk at the tail end of his career.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Keaton Winn (elbow) will throw a bullpen session this weekend, while right-hander Alex Cobb (hip) will throw a bullpen on Thursday. People around camp have been impressed with how far along Cobb seems to be, but he'll still miss a big chunk of time at the start of the year. Meanwhile, Tristan Beck (arm), who was the favorite for the No. 5 rotation spot to begin the year, was diagnosed with an aneurysm in his arm and could need surgery. Winn cut his last bullpen short over a week ago due to right-elbow soreness. It's unclear when the 26-year-old will be cleared to pitch in spring training games, but the Giants are holding out hope he'll be ready to be in the team's Opening Day rotation. With Beck hurt, Sean Hjelle is the favorite now for the final rotation spot in San Francisco.

Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (shoulder) felt good after his bullpen session on Tuesday, but manager Joe Espada said that the future Hall of Famer is not ready to face hitters yet. However, Espada still isn't ruling Verlander out for Opening Day, but he acknowledged "obviously we're kind of running out of days here." The 41-year-old veteran had a setback with his shoulder this offseason and came to spring training behind the other pitchers. Given Verlander's age and recent injury history, it makes sense for the Astros to slow-play him and give him extra time before throwing him out there, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to be in the team's Opening Day rotation. Verlander still has the potential to be useful in fantasy despite his age, but he's a big injury risk and is no longer a fantasy ace.